Wear-compensating sleeve.



W. S. TOTHILL.

WEAR GOMPENSATING SLEEVE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. z, 1909.

1,043,171'. Patented N0v.5,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. S. TO'I'HILL. WBAR GOMPENSATING SLEEVE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

1,043,171. n Patented Nov.5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'fll l Il fw y Y* FFME.

WEAR-COMPENSATING SLEEVE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. To'rrnm., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wear-Compensating Sleeves, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates especially to the amusement device known as a circle bar, and has for its Lobject to provide a new and improved manner of mounting the rotatable platform on its standard. As is readily understood, in such devices the weight upon one side of the supporting standard is likely to be at any time very much greater than that upon the opposite side, and considerable care must be taken to provide a rigid framework and firmly-supported easywork ing bearings in order to insure the device being easily rotated in whatever manner the load is disposed on the device. To this end, I provide a new and improved bearing for the lower end of the sleeve that is journaled upon the central standard and supports the `rotatableplatform, and provide other bearings which coperate to produce the result desired.

Another object of my invention is to improve circle-bar devices in sundry details hereinafter pointed out,-all as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

That which I believe to be new will be setforth in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved circle-bar. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of part of the device, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a section on line 41-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings- 8 indicates a base, rising from which is a standard 9, preferably of iron.

10 indicates a collar fiXedly secured on the standard 9 by means of a bolt 11, being provided with a flange 12 to which are se cured the upper ends of brace-bars 13 which are secured at their lower ends to the basel 8 so as to hold the standard 9 very firmly in upright position.

14 indicates the revolving platform of the device, which is mounted as hereinafter described upon the standard 9.

15 indicates the radial bars upon which the platform is built, between the outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 2, 1909.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

serial no. 515,886.

ends of each adjacent pair of which are fixed parallel bars 16.

17 indicates seats or benches secured in any suitable manner upon the platform 14.

18 indicates a sleeve to a fiange 19 at the upper end of which is secured a two-part spider 20, in radially-disposed sockets in which the radial bars 15 are secured by means of bolts 21. The ends of the radial bars 15 abut against the standard 9, serving to hold the sleeve 18 centered with reference to the standard and forming a bearing between the two parts 9 and 18. Toward its lower end, the sleeve 18 is provided with a thickened portion 22, which, as shown in Fig. et, is provided with sockets for the reception of blocks of wood 23. These blocks are shaped at their inner ends to fit the standard against which they abut, and their outer ends, which project a short dist-ance beyond the part 22, bear against a band 24 which is adapted to be tightened about said blocks by means of a bolt 25 passing through the ends of the band. 26 indicates braces secured at their lower ends tothe part 22 and at their upper ends to the bars 15. At its lower end the sleeve 18 is pro vided with a flange 27. Interposed between the ange 27 of the sleeve 18 and the flange 12 of the collar 10 are a series of balls 28 held in position out of Contact with each other by perforated ring 29 of the ordinary construction for this purpose. Above the spider 20 is located a ring 30, inten posed' between which and a heavy collar 31, which is fiXedly secured upon the standard 9 by a set-screw 32, are a series of balls 33 held in position out of contact with each other by a perforated ring 34; of the ordinary t-ype.

By the means shown and described,Ihave provided a very efficient bearing for devices of this sort. The use of the ends of the wooden bars 15 at the upper end of the sleeve 18 and of the wooden blocks 23 at the lower end for bearings against the metal standard 9 has proved very satisfactory indeed, reducing the wear upon the bearings to a minimum. rI he provision of means, in connection with such a bearing, by which the blocks 23 may be tightened against the standard as wear progresses, is believed to be new, and the claims are to be construed accordingly. The use of the balls to meet the downward pressure in combination with the easy-working bearings directly contacting the standard 9 produces a bearing as a whole of exceedingly little friction, and this in combination with the balls t-liat are interposed to meet the upward pressure at any point on account of an excess of weight at the opposite side of the platform renders the device very well adapted to any sort of usage.

The term parallel bars as applied in the specification to each pair of bars 1G is used in its technical sense,-that is, as designating the well-kiiown gymnasium device of this name, and the same meaning is to be attached to the term as used in the claims.

While the part 22 is shown as a thickened portion of the sleeve 18, it will be understood that a collar otherwise formed and provided with suitable sockets might be used without departing from my invention. rlhe sleeve 18 and collar 22 constitute a frame for the support of the platform 14 in the construction shown, but this frame with its improved bearings may obviously be used also for other purposes, and the claims are to be construed accordingly.

While I have shown the standard 9 in the form of a solid metal post, I do not wish to limit myself to that construction except as hereinafter specifically claimed, the essential points being that the construction shall be very strong and that the surface against which the ends of the beams 15 and the ends kof the blocks 23 bear and about which they revolve shall be a metal bearing surface or surfaces.

What I claim as my invention and desiie to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a standard, and a frame rotatably mounted thereon, the bearing of said frame on said standard comprising a collar provided with radially-disposed sockets, a block of wood located in each of Vsaid sockets and bearing against the standard, a band against which the outer ends of said blocks of wood abut, and means for tightening said band about said blocks as Wear progresses.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a standard, a sleeve prosaid second series of balls bear, of a block of wood located in each of said sockets and bearing against said standard, a band against which the outer ends of said blocks of wood abut, and means for tightening saidV band about said blocks.

3. The combination with Va spindle, and a sleeve loosely surrounding said spindle in spaced relation therewith, said sleeve being provided with a plurality of radially-dis posed sockets, of a plurality of blocks of wood one in each of said sockets extending beyond said sleeve at their outer ends and bearing on said spindle at their inner ends, a split band extending around the ends of said blocks, and means for drawing together the ends of said split band to tighten the saine about said blo'cks.

4C. The combination of a spindle, and a frame surrounding said spindle and provided with a bearing at each end, the bearing at one end comprising a spider loosely surrounding the spindle in spaced relation therewith, and blocks of wood carried by said spider serving to space the saine away from said spindle, the bearing at the other end comprising a sleeve loosely surrounding said spindle in spaced relation therewith, said sleeve being provided with a plurality of radially-disposed sockets, a plurality of short blocks of wood one in each of said sockets extending beyond said sleeve at their outer ends and bearing on said spindle at their inner ends, a split band extending around the ends of said last-named blocks, and means for drawing together the ends of said split band to tighten the same about said blocks.

1WILLIAM S. TOTI-IILL. lVitnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, W. I-I. DE Brisk.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

